With over a year of war against COVID-19, the world has been restructured trying to figure out how to keep each other safe while the world keeps turning. The shift to work-from-home and hybrid workspace setups, and the rise of freelance and outsourcing services have been monumental in continuing economic activity.
In PwC’s survey they revealed that remote work has resulted in an overwhelming success for both employers and employees. There has been a shift in positive attitude in companies in regards to working remotely according to 83% of employers in the study.
And even with the post-pandemic future just up ahead, less than one in five executives say that they are thinking of returning to the office as it was pre-COVID. On the other hand, there are still a lot who are grappling to extend remote work options with 13% executives prepared to give up the office once and for all, while 87% of employees say that the office is still important.
Employee sentiments on working from home
As organizations look into the post pandemic future, the sensible decision should be towards a solution that allows solid productivity.
But while productivity has gone up with remote work setups such as professional writing services or content writing services, many employees report feeling anxious or burned out. And despite positive responses and results from employees, they still face the challenges of remote work set up leaving them to feel isolated.
1. Lack of direction
One major obstacle for employees is the lack of alignment on priorities and effective communication. According to a survey conducted by Reflektive, respondents wanted more direction to ensure that they are working with their teams to get to the same goal.
2. Feelings of isolation
Despite the prevalence of messages, texts, and emails amongst employers and peers, employees still cite feelings of isolation and loneliness while working remotely.
3. No consistent updates
Employees report a lack of consistency in communication having heard conflicting messages from different teams across their companies.
4. Employee’s personal circumstances
Employees cited burnout from remote work set ups with work and home responsibilities seemingly merging in together; they felt their situations were also not adequately acknowledged by their company and their employers.
While productivity has gone up and employee's general well-being seems to be better across the board, many workers still report more anxiety, stress, sadness, and worry. As companies and remote workers such as website content writers adjust to "the new normal", and as that definition keeps on evolving, both parties need to continue prioritizing effective communication, cross-team collaboration, and alignment. The goal of employers should be to make employees feel together and heard even when they are far apart.
Engaging employees on remote work
As the new reality kicks in, remote employee engagement matters most more than ever. This is an important part of preventing work-from-home burnout. And employee engagement can start from the most basic and salient factor: emotional connection to their work, which helps employees put things into perspective especially when work is heavy.
Communication, communication, communication - With the way things are, the shift towards the digital world has been a key in keeping things moving. Effective and efficient communication through all channels is a must to streamline project management between members and everyone.
Fostering interactions - Keep your employees engaged by fostering team connection. Since remote work spaces do not provide the same luxury of socialization as in a physical office, prioritise the in-between work moments to develop healthy relationships among peers and workers.
Show your employees that you care - Give them the permission to create a healthy work-life balance. Respect their time and set up healthy boundaries around schedules, performance expectations, and assignments. Don't forget to listen and ask for feedback, recognize their contributions, and make time to just chat with them about their homelife, their stressors, or their mental and emotional help.
It's clear that remote work will only grow and evolve in the coming years, which means understanding how to manage and engage your remote employees is as important as keeping up the sales or the productivity. Enjoy the advantage of remote workforce by keeping them happy, productive, and healthy all the time.